Motorist fuming after being told to remove ‘B011 LUX’ registration which cost £399

A MOTORIST who bought the cheeky number plate ‘BO11 LUX’ for his new car has criticised the DVLA after they ordered him to remove it – even though he bought it from their website.

Alan Clarke, aged 49, bought the humorous plate for £399 from the official site to put on his new black Range Rover Overfinch and says it left family, friends and other motorists in stitches when they spotted it.

But within six weeks he received a stern letter from the DVLA telling him the plate was ‘causing offence’ and ordering him to remove it from his £60,000 vehicle.

Alan, who is the chairman of a telecoms company in Chesterfield, bought it through the official DVLA channels and says he is baffled by the organisation’s stance.

The married dad-of-one said: “It’s absolutely ludicrous. I saw it on the DVLA website last November and thought it would be a bit of fun to put it on my new car.

“On March 1, when I picked up the car, I immediately put the plate on. Everyone just bursts out laughing when they see it and it’s unique.

“But out of the blue in mid-April I got a very strongly worded letter from the DVLA saying my plate had slipped through the net and should never have appeared for sale on the website.

“They said it was causing offence and I had to remove it, and they are threatening to criminalise me.

“But they are a government agency and they put the plate on their own website for anyone to buy so it’s 100 per cent legal.

“I would love to know what offence I am committing as they haven’t told me.

“I have got the receipt for the plate, the registration document and the vehicle is fully taxed and insured so I’m at a loss to see what the problem is.

“They sent me a normal plate to put on but I sent it straight back, I don’t want it.

“If they didn’t want me to buy it they shouldn’t have put it on their website.”

Alan added: “I think the DVLA are embarrassed they let a plate slip the net but that’s hardly my fault. I’m not backing down, it’s my own personal plate and I’m not taking it off.”

Alan said similar saucy plates were still available on the DVLA website.

‘BU11 LUX’ is £405 while ‘BAL 4S’ costs £450.

A DVLA spokesman said: “Many people enjoy displaying a personalised registration number and the vast majority of numbers are made available, but we have a responsibility to ensure that the combinations used do not cause offence.

“DVLA tries to identify combinations that may cause offence, and on the rare occasion where potentially offensive numbers slip through the net, steps are taken to withdraw the registration number.

“This particular registration plate has been withdrawn, therefore it is an offence for the driver to still be displaying it. He would receive a refund for the plate.”